Jazz Shaw points out that the House health care reform bill not only fails to meaningfully address tort reform but also makes it less likely that caps will be placed on claims for non-economic damages as many advocate. The bill provides for incentives for states to consider tort reform–as long as they don’t limit attorney fees or place a cap on damages. While conservatives greatly exaggerate the impact of malpractice on health care costs, this is still a cause of unnecessarily wasted money and those serious about reducing health care costs should address this problem.
This provides one example of why it is difficult to get anything done in this country. On one side we have the Republicans who are in the pocket of the insurance industry and will fight any reform, while on the other side the Democrats are unwilling to cross the trial lawyers (as well as being influenced to some degree by the insurance industry).
This is also why I continue to consider myself an independent as opposed to a Democrat despite voting exclusively for Democrats the last several years other than in local elections where everyone is a Republican. While I have a far greater degree for contempt for the GOP since it has been taken over by the extreme right and and has lost touch with reality, voting for the opposing party in a two-party system is not the same as totally embracing them.